Bill Clinton's international character is not in doubt, and in his Labour Party conference address he came up with a classic Clintonism: "Society is important," he said, "because of ubuntu."
Not quite sure what he was on about? Fear not. Our man with the iffy cigar-case explained. "If one was the most beautiful, most intelligent, most wealthy, most powerful person and then found... that we were alone on the planet, it wouldn't amount to a hill of beans."
Ubuntu, which, like many ideas discussed in Manchester this week, does not translate well, is derived from Bantu, a southern African language, and relates to a Zulu concept - umuntu
ngumuntu ngabantu - which means "a person is only a person through other people".
In the specific political context of South African democracy, 'ubuntu' is a guiding concept of the constitution
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Bill Clinton introduced a novel concept to the party’s warring camps, says ed howker |
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and refers to consensual decision making, and the hope to represent a wider view than just one individual's.
Well, as instructive as this idea of consensus may be to delegates who have watched their long-held beliefs about a nationalised health service, personal freedom, unilateral nuclear disarmament and pacifism be ignored by their party leadership, they must accept that Clinton's message will almost certainly fail to change the behaviour of their wrangling leaders.
Still, it's nice to learn a word, and should they not get it here is Desmond Tutu's definition: "A person with ubuntu is open and available to others... and doesn't feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished."
Tony. Gordon. That's right isn't it? 
FIRST POSTED SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
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